Electrodeposition is carried out by juxtaposing an anodic electrode with a cathodic workpiece or workpiece surface in the presence of an electrodepositing solution and applying an electrodepositing potential between the anode and the workpiece or workpiece surface to allow a metal to be electrochemically deposited on the latter from the solution. The deposition may be used to permanently coat the surface or, alternatively, to produce on an electrically conductive or metalized nonconductive mold an electroformed layer of the metal which can be removed therefrom for use as a shaped metallic product such as an electrical machining tool electrode or die.
One major problem hitherto encountered in the art of electrodeposition is difficulty in achieving uniformity of deposition on a receiving surface where the surface as is quite often required is deeply recessed or intricate in shape. Generally, a deposit tends to build up selectively at relatively projecting areas and may seldom occur at a recessed corner portion, resulting in an irregularity of deposition over the surface and this tendency is accentuated as the process continues. While various techniques have been proposed to reduce the deposition irregularity, none of them have been found to be satisfactory on account of efficiency and economy. Accordingly, there has been a consistent desire in the art to produce a high-precision electrodeposited layer which is uniform in thickness, especially in die and electrode making fields.
The electrodeposition technique has also been applied to patterning a metal on a nonmetallic substrate as desired in the manufacture of electronic circuit devices. To this end, however, the prior art required complicated masking and other laborious or troublesome preparations which have been found to involve considerable additional cost and to be inefficient.